The most common devices are formed by a thin inflatable chamber, with a pressure sensor arranged within the chamber to measure pressure variations and thereby deduce information on the heart rate and respiration of the individual lying on the bed.
It is known, for example from document US2011306844, to have a generally square or rectangular air-filled chamber with the pressure sensor arranged in a corner of the chamber. External access to the sensor connector from outside the bedding requires the inflatable chamber to occupy the entire width of the bed so that the connection to the sensor is located at the edge of the bed.
However, it has been found that the performance of chambers of such dimensions is suboptimal in terms of accuracy and sensitivity. In addition, the cost and size of such equipment are quite disadvantageous.
There is therefore a need to provide a more streamlined and less cumbersome solution for helping to monitor the sleep of an individual.